


Red and Blue Make Purple

by ArtisticVicu



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Sanscest - Freeform, kustard - Freeform, reader is female
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 17:31:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17166242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtisticVicu/pseuds/ArtisticVicu
Summary: Monsters and Humans have been living side by side for quite some time but every now and then humans are still surprised by the monsters around them.A gift for Kiinotasha as part of the Undertale Secret Santa event on Tumblr.





	Red and Blue Make Purple

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kiinotasha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiinotasha/gifts).



“’ey, Sweetcheeks.”

You looked up, hand automatically rising to pull out an earbud. It stilled halfway up as your brain finally told you what you’re looking at.

A monster.

You blinked, and completed the gesture. “Yeah?” you croaked, mentally flinching at the edge in the word. It would seem your hard day was catching up to you.

The monster didn’t seem to care even as a scowl pulled at the strange face and you tried to get your brain to be ok with seeing a bare skull move as if made of flesh.

“Ya usin’ that seat?”

The monster pointed at the seat next to you and your attention stuttered briefly on the claws at the end of each boney digit before finally making it to the mentioned seat. Your bag was resting in the seat beside you, things strewn about from your careless toss, and as your face burned, you quickly shoved your things back into your bag before shoving it onto your lap. “All yours,” you mumbled, huddling around your belongings.

“Good.”

You jumped. Instead of the rough monster sitting down, a monster you hadn’t even noticed took the seat instead. The new monster was startling similar to the one that had spoken that you stared between them for far too long. They looked so similar, it was like they were twins.

You mentally berated yourself. Racism like that was going to get no one anywhere. The monster collective had strived so hard to gain rights that equaled humans – to be classified as such in every law for and against them – that adapting to their ways was the least you could do, if nothing else.

But still...

Your gaze was on the seated monster again without your permission. The gruff one was standing before them, huddled forward as if to isolate the softer one. And the one seated was softer. The soft smile edged in exhaustion was full of rather normal teeth where the one standing had a smile full of sharp teeth and a fake gold one to add a bit of danger to the whole look. Not that the stout monster needed anything more to look dangerous.

Wait, was the monster really as short as you were starting to realize?

A dude brushed passed and you instinctively drew your knees in to give him more room. The monster either hadn’t noticed or didn’t care but when the dude brushed up against the monster’s back, said monster spun on the man, snarling, “Watch where yer goin’, bub.”

A frown pulled at your face. Yes he was as short as he seemed, probably no taller than a teen and that was generous.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up and your gaze snapped to the side, finding the softer monster watching you with half lidded sockets. You realized the softer one was holding onto the gruffer’s sleeve.

The softer one gave you a lazy smile. “Don’t let him bother you. He’s just itching for a fight.”

“Bullshit I am,” the gruff one snapped, turning back to hover over the softer. “’e should ‘ave been more careful.”

The softer offered the other a soft smile. “We’re on the bus. He couldn’t have been more careful even if he could turn off gravity.”

The gruffer grumbled something but it seemed the softer’s words had the desired effect as the softer one released the sleeve they had been holding.

“Haven’t seen much monsters, kid?”

You blinked, focusing on the softer one. You settled more around your stuff, offering honestly, “I’ve seen and interacted with my fair share. It’s the skeleton part that’s taking a bit of getting used to.”

The softer chuckled. “Not surprised with that. Name’s Sans. Sans the Skeleton. He’s my doppelganger, also a Sans, but most call him Red to keep the confusion at bay.”

“Red?” you parroted.

“Yeah? What’s it to ya?” the gruff one challenged.

It was hard not to react defensively to that but you still sat up straighter. “Nothing,” you countered instead. “I’m just surprised your nickname’s a color.”

The softer – Sans, right? – chuckled, commenting to Red, “Wait till we mention Blue.”

“Blue?” The word was beyond your lips before you could think better of it. “Is that your nickname?”

This time Sans gave a louder chuckle. Something about it tickled the back of your mind but the barely conscious thought was gone as the other spoke.

“Funnily enough–”

“To no one but you,” Red growled.

“–my nickname out of the three of us is Classic,” Sans finished, granting Red only a glance at the interruption. “You know how there can be, like, five ‘Jack’s in a single room?” Despite it being a rhetorical question, you nodded. “We’ve somehow managed to end up with three ‘Sans’s and ‘Papyrus’s.”

Your eyes grew wide at that. “How did that happen?”

“Creative parents,” Red commentated under his breath, the sarcasm heavy even in the quiet words.

The smile on Sans’s face grew wider at it. “Magic,” he responded in turn. You gave him a flat look and he actually had the gall to laugh. “No, seriously. Magic.” He waved his hand lazily between the two of you. “It’s also a bit of complicated quantum mechanics and physics and other sciency things that wouldn’t make a lick of sense even with a Ph.D..” He sent you another smile. “So, magic. Because, beyond all the sciency stuff, that’s what it is.”

Red huffed but the words that tumbled past his teeth were soft, gentle even as he reached up and caressed the other’s skull. “Ain’t that complicated, Sweetheart. You know that.”

Sans shrugged, leaning into the touch for a fleeting moment. You noticed some tension ease briefly out of the sitting skeleton. It returned almost as quickly as it had left as Sans offered in return, “It’s better than the looks.”

Red leaned in, pressing their foreheads together, and your gaze snapped to anywhere but them as heat rolled over your face. Such a simple gesture was not meant to be so potently intimate. “‘ey, forget the looks. We don’t have to take any of it. They don’t know our story.”

“I know,” Sans responded, his voice tangled with emotions you couldn’t quite decipher.

“Then don’t worry bout it. And if anyone gives ya flack for it, I’ll punch them for ya.”

The laugh that came from Sans was contagious and you inconspicuously covered your smile with your hand as best you could.

“Red,” Sans berated.

“What?”

“No hitting people.”

Red gave a huff. “I can hit whoever I want, rules be damned.”

Sans laughed again and you risked a glance over.

Your eyes grew wider.

They had somehow managed to create their own little world on that one seat in the busy evening bus. Most were keeping a surreptitious eye on the pair but that wasn’t strange in and of itself, most homosexual relationships were still ogled and, as integrated as monsters were into the world now, people’s curiosity would last for years more.

But that wasn’t what had surprised you.

It was the amount of love and devotion the pair were displaying only for the other that you could make out because of your close proximity. Had you been seated anywhere else, it probably looked like casual flirting and teasing, nothing as deep as what you could see in the softer edge of Red’s grin, of how Sans had settled more into his seat trusting Red to keep the demons at bay – you knew too well about the demons that needed to be kept at bay and you welcomed the guilt that had swallowed you when you felt glad to not have the demons Sans seemed to have – and of how their fingers were intertwined in the space between your leg and Sans’s where Red’s thumb softly ghosted over the back of Sans’s hand.

You looked away again.

The bus pulled into the station as the street lights turned on. The sun hadn’t truly set yet but the area was already in deep shadows and the walk that remained was only going to get darker.

Your hand tightened around the strap of your bag, determination settling over your face as you start for home with your demons whispering against your back.

“You going to be alright getting home?”

Your feet stuttered to a halt on the pavement and you whipped your gaze around, finding Sans giving you a concerned look. Did he see the demons you were ignoring? Red was having no part of it, glaring at some human wandering away.

“Yeah,” you offered. The smile that came with the word was fake as your thoughts turned to the dark walk ahead. The grip on your bag tightened. “You two have a good night.”

“We’ll walk you home.”

You had just turned to start heading home again when Sans’s words cut through your progress once more. Looking back only told you that Sans was indeed planning on walking you home.

Red, again, was having none of it. “Why are we walkin’ ‘er home? She said she’d be fine.”

“Because we’re heading in the same direction and she was nice enough on the bus,” Sans shrugged.

Words were past your lips before thought could check it for censorship.

“Had you two been humans, I’d have thought this was a ploy to get me alone to rape me.”

Yep. Could have used that censorship.

Sans’s face went blank, sockets losing the lights you had been counting as pupils. Red’s face twisted into a snarl as he snapped, “And you thought that was a brilliant idea to share because why?”

You didn’t give your brain time to censor words. “Because I honestly believe Sans is doing this out of an act of true kindness than devious plan.”

That was a better thing to say, though Red still wasn’t pleased with it. “And what am I? Chopped liver?”

You wondered when he had learned that turn of phrase as you offered with a true grin for once, “Jury’s still out on if you’ll kill me out of boredom or necessity.”

For a painful moment, you thought that your brain had betrayed you again. But then Red gave a bark of a laugh and grinned right back. “Ain’t gonna lie: that’s probably the most accurate statement a human’s ever used on me.”

Sans chuckled, looking a bit more like he had on the bus but even you could tell he had gained back all the tension he had managed to lose. “Probably. Come on. It’s getting late and we are expected.”

“You two going to a party or something?” you inquired, taking the lead even as the pair fell into step beside you. You wondered if Red placed Sans between the two of you on purpose or not.

Sans gave a soft smile. “Nothing quite so exciting.”

“There’s a place near here called Grillby’s Nightclub,” Red supplied in turn. “We’re meeting Stretch and a few of the others there for a good night on the town.”

“Red’s idea,” Sans added, as if that explained everything. You weren’t sure how to tell him it didn’t.

“That’s the new monster bar, right?” you clarified, trying to remember if you were remembering the place right.

“Yeah.” Red’s tongue was sharp even with the single word. “There’s the Nightclub, the diner, and the café, all under the Grillby name.”

Glancing over informed you your question had come off wrong. Sans was hunkered into his hoodie and Red looked more ready to punch something than he had been previously. You offered another tight smile. “Same situation as the many ‘Sans’s, then?”

“Pretty much,” Red confirmed. “Just without the nicknames. Not that it doesn’t stop the regulars from giving them one.”

“Would I be welcomed in?”

Both sets of pupils were on you and you looked ahead to avoid them. “I mean, I know there are laws against segregation between our kinds and all, but that doesn’t mean that someone like me would be welcomed anywhere so exclusively monster.”

“Someone like you?”

Sans met your gaze when you looked over. You quickly looked away again as you rushed, “Y-yeah. I keep offending you guys without meaning to and you guys are being kind enough to–” _fight my demons_ “–walk me home despite having some place to be.”

“Hey.” A boney hand wrapped around your arm, pulling you to a gentle stop as Sans’s voice curled around you. “If you–”

The sound of an explosion ripped through Sans’s words. The ground quaked underfoot and you reflexively grabbed Sans. Either he didn’t notice or didn’t care because he grabbed at you just the same, the both of you turning your attention down the street.

Smoke was billowing over the buildings a few streets down and a few buildings in but it wasn’t the only thing rising in the air. Streaks of light flew through the air as the sound of gunfire joined the cacophony of noise that had followed the explosion.

Red leapt to his feet. “That’s Boss’s magic!”

“Red! Wait!”

But Red was gone before Sans could even finish reaching for him and you were left bewildered with no time to comprehend what was going on as Sans rounded on you. “I have to go after him.”

“Take me with,” you choke out.

Sans shook his head. “I don’t–”

“My home is a few blocks beyond the explosion. Taking me with you gets me partway home. We would have been parting there anyways.”

Sans searched your face but whatever he had been looking for, whatever he had been trying to see, you were unable to pick out because from instance to the next, you were somewhere else. There was the echo of being pulled in every direction while being shoved through a tiny tube, existing yet not, and you shuddered from the residual sensation you didn’t even remember experiencing.

Sans pulled at you, forcing you to stumble forward.

Bones erupted from the pavement where you had been standing. Something took hold of you so deep in your chest, you swore it was holding tight to your very essence, and suddenly you were being pushed skyward. You would have screamed if Sans hadn’t just appeared at your side as you jerked to a stop at some point in the air. The ground where you two had been was decimated by who knew what.

Sans leaned forward even as he reached back towards you. “There!”

That same lingering sensation washed over you as you two were suddenly at the other side of the whole ordeal. There was a plethora of monsters and humans and far too many looked panic for your liking.

“Sans!” a voice cut through the noise. You barely hear Sans breathe a word that sounded something like ‘pap’ but you didn’t trust what you had heard as a lanky skeleton rushed over. “Where is Red? Edge said he was coming with you.”

“I couldn’t see him. He took a shortcut ahead of me and I lost sight of him.” Sans pulled on your arm again and you belatedly realized he had been holding on to you. “Watch her for me. I have to go find Red.”

“I’ve got him,” a new – rather familiar – voice cut in. It was easy to pick out who it had been, finding another Sans standing between you and the chaos on the street. There was no Red to be seen but you felt you understood the nicknames now.

Standing there looking ready for a fight was another Sans. He looked just like Sans who still had a tight grip on your arm except this one was bubblier, cuter even and somehow smaller, with blue pupil lights that countered Red’s red ones. But it wasn’t just that. This new Sans’s entire attire was accented by a blue bandanna around his neck, the tails on the tie looking almost like a massive blue bow. Blue – you really hoped this was Blue – offered a hand to Sans. “I’ll take you to him.”

Sans’s grip left your arm and in a surge of panic, you grabbed at his hoodie in turn. You gained the those white pupils again but the frantic edge on them made you simply rush, “Be careful,” before letting go.

The pair vanished without a trace. A burst of blue in the middle of whatever was going on clued you in on where they had ended up.

“Are you alright, Human?” the lanky skeleton asked. “Why were you with my brother?”

You looked up at this other new skeleton that looked so different from Sans, it was like going from night to day. “He was walking me home,” you stated lamely. The chaos drew your attention again. “What happened? Why are people fighting?”

“Despite how much progress has been made, there are still those that target monsters out of sport,” a second lanky skeleton supplied, approaching. Just as the different Sanses had their own way of dressing, it would seem the Papyruses did as well. The new Papyrus was wearing an orange pullover, a cigarette between his teeth. The original one that Sans had talked with was in some sort of battle armor. If he hadn’t been wearing the black body suit underneath, it would have been scandalous. “And unfortunately, sometimes the more volatile counterparts have to step in to make sure no one is killed.”

Your eyes snapped back on the fight. It was getting easier picking out what was going on through the harsh lighting. A variety of bones were going this way and that, some rimmed red, some blue or white, others a solid blue.

There was one of the Papyruses out in the heat of the battle. You couldn’t tell which Sans was at his side, though.

“Why aren’t you two fighting?”

A spray of bullets was suddenly aimed at them. Bones rimmed in two different shades of orange cut off their trajectory efficiently. You still flinched.

“Because there are people to protect,” the original Papyrus offered, his voice set. “And because Edge did not want me in the fight.”

“Yer too soft,” the smoking Papyrus commented, releasing a puff of smoke. “Personally, I didn’t want anything to do with it.”

“Sans should not be in there either,” the original Papyrus snapped at the smoking one, as if it was the other’s fault that Sans was in the middle of it all.

The smoking Papyrus shrugged. “He ain’t my brother and not my problem. Besides,” there was a glint of light in one of the skeleton’s sockets and a new array of bones appeared out of the corner of your eye; you didn’t care to see what they blocked, “He knows how to take care of himself in a fight. You know this as well as I do.”

The original Papyrus huffed. “Yes, but that does not mean I have to be ok with it.”

It got strangely quiet even as the police sirens got louder. You turned, hoping to make out what else had happened, but only found the fire had been put out and four skeletons walking towards you.

The tallest had to be the last Papyrus.

If Red had looked dangerous, this Papyrus was evil incarnate. If you weren’t careful, you were certain this one wouldn’t even bat a socket when he killed you.

“Let’s get out of here,” the Papyrus snarled. You skittered backwards, colliding with a chest that hadn’t been there previously. You jump, turning to find Sans looking amused. “I don’t want to deal with the authorities tonight.”

“You can’t just leave,” you blurted. The terrifying Papyrus glared at you and you found yourself slamming into Sans again. “Th-they need your statement.”

“She’s not wrong, Boss,” Red offered softly. 

Your gaze flickered to the stout skeleton but you couldn’t look away from the Papyrus for long.

Your brain started registering that Sans was rubbing soothing circles into your back. Even the original Papyrus’s hand was on your shoulder now.

The terrifying Papyrus scoffed. “Fine. But we’re going home after this,” he snapped before storming off.

Red sent you an awkward, encouraging smile. “Don’t mind the Boss. He’s just in a bad mood.”

And then he was gone.

“You unharmed?”

Sans was in your line of sight again and you nodded slowly. “What was all that about?” you asked softly.

Sans’s face closed off but he did answer you. “Stretch had seen a few humans picking on some monster children. He went and grabbed Edge and Blue while he and Papyrus kept spectators and any other monsters safe.”

Shame coursed through you for the scum that still littered the human race. It must have shown on your face because Sans’s hands were on your cheeks, his words soft. “No one was hurt and the humans that had started the whole thing are unconscious waiting for the police to show up. It’ll be fine.”

You shook your head. “No it isn’t. It won’t be till these things stop happening.”

A familiar chuckle reached your ears and Sans removed his touch from your face. You watch as Red comes up to Sans’s side and throws an arm around the softer’s shoulders. You envied Sans when the skeleton relaxed into his sharper counter. “Please. The moment there aren’t humans harassing monsters is the day I give up mustard.”

You don’t understand what he meant by that but the chuckling and laughter and disbelief from the others made it clear it was something significant.

“Do you want us to take you home?”

You met Sans’s gaze again. The conversation had moved on so quickly, you hadn’t even realized that time had passed. There were very few in the streets now and even the last of the cop cars was pulling away as Edge approached. You shake your head even as you felt yourself shivering against the bite of the evening wind. “I’ll be fine. I don’t live far from here and I doubt I’ll run into anyone after this.”

A heavy leather jacket smelling of motor oil and something you couldn’t place landed heavily over your shoulders. You stared at the jacketless Edge as the skeleton joined the other lanky skeletons. “Make sure she gets home, you two. And I expect my jacket back, Red.”

“Course, Boss,” Red agreed as he carefully took your arm and pulled you away.

“Where to?” Sans inquired.

You took the lead without saying anything.

The walk was quiet but it didn’t lack noise. Sans and Red walked on either side of you softly chatting about this, that, and the other and for once your demons left you be.

You paused on the doorstep to your place, handing the jacket back to Red. “Thank you,” you offered meekly. “I hope your night isn’t ruined.”

Red snorted, slinging the jacket over a shoulder. “If I know Stretch, ‘e’s takin’ everyone back to his place where there’ll be just as much booze without the crowd. Boss’ll be happy to drink that skeleton under the table in two shots.”

“I still don’t know how Pap ended up with such a high tolerance to alcohol,” Sans stated, looking bewildered. A part of you whispered it was an act.

Nervously, you threw out, “You’ll have to show me the other Grillby locations. I’d love to see what they’re like.”

As much of a whirlwind your day ended on, you didn’t want to lose touch with the strange skeletons you had just met. Papyrus and Blue had already swindled your number out of you but it was Sans and Red who you wanted to be friends with. Not that you wouldn’t say no to being friends with Papyrus or Blue but that wasn’t the point.

“Sure,” Sans cut in, oblivious to your inner turmoil. “We’ve got nothing going Saturday, I think.”

He looked to Red, who shrugged. “If we do, I don’t remember.”

Sans looked back at you. “How does Saturday sound?”

You offer a soft smile, one of the few honest expressions you’ve had all evening. “Saturday sounds perfect. When and where do you want to meet?”

A minute later and the pair of skeletons left in the blink of an eye with your number in their phones and their numbers in yours. You closed the door and clenched your phone tight. You wondered if being around them would make it easier or harder to keep back the demons whispering in your ear.

It didn’t matter as you stepped away from your door. You were making new friends in a new city and if your demons went away in the process, even better.

Hey, maybe you’d even find love.

The thought brought a pair of white and red pupils to mind and it took more effort than it should to cast that fantasy aside.

There was no way that was a possibility.

Right?


End file.
